Socket wrench with storage area



Nov. 13, 1962 E. s. sALlERNo socxET WRENCH WITH STORAGE AREA Filed July22, 1959 IHWWWRMM O2 a I i ,I BY I V//f//I 3,063,316 SOCKET WRENCH WITHSTORAGE AREA Elio S. Salierno, 43 E. Turnbull Ave., Havertown, Pa. FiledJuly 22, 1959, ser. No. 828,831 3 Claims. (Cl. 81-124.1)

This invention relates to a socket wrench having a magazine or storagearea and constitues an improvement over devices of this general class.An objective of the present invention is to provide a device whicheliminates the necessity of applying nuts via hand to bolts or otherthreaded stems.

More particularly, the present invention is devoted to the handling,storage and application of miniature nuts of approximately 1/16"diameter or less which are widely used in assembly operations in variousindustries including the electronics industry.

lt is common knowledge that nuts of the order of 1/16" diameter or lessare difficult both to handle and apply to threaded stems during assemblyoperations. Moreover, such diiculties are multiplied when the threadedstem is located in an area which is not easily accessible.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide aminiature nut applying device which eliminates the necessity of applyinga miniature nut via hand to a threaded stern.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a socket wrenchwith miniature nut storage area having releasable stop means so arrangedas to permit said wrench to accommodate and apply a plurality ofminiature nuts to tiny threaded stems.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a socketwrench with a miniature nut Stor-age area usable in conjunction withminiature nuts and readily adapted to be used in assembly lineproduction.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a socketwrench with a miniature nut storage area having means which apply avariable tension to the miniature nuts contained therein therebyfacilitating loading and application of the miniature nuts.

. Another object of the present invention is to provide a socket wrenchwith storage area for miniature nuts which incorporates many desirablefeatures in such a manner that it can be manufactured in an extremelyeconomical manner with a minimum of separate parts that can be mostreadily assembled.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Y FIG. l is a side elevational view of a iirst embodiment of the presentinvention; l

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional View taken along the lines 2 2of FIG. 1;

` FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;v

FIG. 4 is an enlarged Viewv of the front portion. of FIG. 2;

F-lG. 4-a is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the lip of thestop spring shown in FIG 4;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 5 5 of FIG.4;

lFIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a threaded stem engagedwith and pulling out a nut from the wrench storage area;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view, partly in section, of the rear portion ofFIG. 2, with the rear bearing member and m-ain spring omitted forclarity and showing both the side and rear adjustment means almostcompletely backed away to reduce the main spring force to a minimum; and

xitedStates Patent Patented Nov. 13., 1962 like reference characters areused for like elements throughout.

A socket Wrench with storage area in accordance with a iirst embodimentof the present invention is generally shown at 10 in FIG. 1 and includesat its front portion a magazine 12 which is of such size and shape as toaccommodate a plurality of miniature nuts 14. Nuts 14 are frontwardlyurged by the action of ejectment means 16 positioned within magazine 12.Ejectment means 1.6 includes a disc 17 having a forward surface 18 whichbears against the rear face of the endmost nut 14 contained in magazine112. Ejectment means 16 further includes a rearwardly positionedadaptive finger 20 over which is fitted the forward portion of a coilspring 22 which extends into magazine 12. The major portion of spring 22is, however, positioned in achamber 24.

, Chamber 24 is an extension of magazine 12 and is integral therewith,but is of a smaller internal diameter than magazine 12 so as to precludebackward movement of disc 17 `beyond the confines of magazine 12.

The rearward portion of spring 22 is positioned over adaptive finger 26of a rear bearing member 28 which is also housed in chamber 24. Theposition of member 28 may be altered by the individual or combinedmovement of side .adjustment means 30 and end adjustment means 32.Should member 28 be moved forwardly, the compressive forces on spring 22would thereby be increased since the rear end 27 of spring 22 is alsomoved forwardly while the front end 23 of spring 22 will be heldstationary so long as nuts 14 are neither added to nor withdrawn frommagazine 12. This is so because the action of spring 22 biases bearingsurface 18 of disc 17 against the rear face of the endmost nut 14 whichcannot move unless and until a forward nut 14 is either added to orwithdrawn from magazine 12.

Side adjustment means 30 is in the shape of a hollow cylinder havinginternal threads 34 which enable the means 30 to be threaded overexternal threads 36 located at the rear portion of chamber 24.

Positioned within adjustment means 30` is a threaded head 38 mounted ona stem 39 having a knob 40 at its other end. The head 38 bears againstrear bearing member 28. Accordingly when knob 40 is turned to advancehead 33 forwardly or when side adjustment means 30 is so turned toadvance forwardly thereby causing head 38 to be carried therewith, thebearing member 28 is moved forwardly and the compressive stress onspring 22 is increased. This is so because front end 23 of spring 22 isheld stationary as was previously described.

It follows that the compressive stresses on spring 22 may be lessened bymoving head 38 rearwardly by appropriate turning of either sideadjustment means 30 or knob 40.

It is thus seen that when the compressive stress on spring 22. isincreased, the ejectment force exerted by ejectment means 16 onminiature nuts is accordingly increased. Hence, the ease of ejectment ofminiature nuts may be quickly adjusted and controlled by adjusting theforce of spring 22 relative to a releasable stop spring 42 which ispositioned at the mouth of magazine 12 as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.It is readily apparent that releasable stop spring 42 precludesejectment means 16 from ejecting a miniature nut 14 from magazine 12until such time as the stop spring 42 is disengaged as when a miniaturenut 14 is threaded on a stem 44 and tool 1t) withdrawn as shown in FIG.6.

The -adjustability of the force exerted by ejectment means-16 ori nuts14 is particularly important when a plurality ofminiature nuts 14 arebeing loaded into magazine 12. This is so because miniature nuts areinherently troublesome to handle and align in a spaced relationship asexists in magazine 12. Thus, loading of nuts 114 into magazine 12 may befacilitated by reducing the ejectment force of ejectment means 16 to aminimum by merely adjusting means 30 and 32 to a rearmost position asshown in FIG. 7. When the loading operation is completed, means 30 and32 may be again advanced forwardly to increase the compressive stress onspring 22 thereby facilitating ejectment of nuts 14.

As previously disclosed, a releasable stop spring 42 is provided at themouth of magazine 12 as best shown in FIG. 3. Spring 42 is a leaf springwhich is generally positioned to 'occupy a longitudinal slot 43 formedin an external longitudinal side of magazine '12 as shown in FIG. 5. Thetrailing end of spring 42 is secured to an external face of chamber 24(FIG. 2) by means of an overlying collar 46 and a securing pin 48. Theleading end of spring 42 is bent at right angles to form a lip 50 whichas shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 4a and 6 lies flush against a front face 56 ofthe mouth of magazine 12 from which some metal has been removed topreclude the front face 58 of lip 50 from protruding beyond the mouth ofmaga` `mouth of magazine 12. Moreover, spring 42 `is constructed of anextremely thin piece of resilient metal thereby substantially reducingand practically eliminating the depth of recess 54 (FIG. 4) existingbetween the front face '56 of the mouth of magazine 12 or the front face58 of the lip 50 and the front face 60 of the nut 14 in the ejectmentposition. A beveled edge 52 is formed on the rear face of lip 50 toprovide a camming surface for the purpose hereinafter discussed.

When applying miniature nuts to stems which are generally of extremelysmall length, it is necessary that the width of recess 54 be held to anirreducible minimum or substantially eliminated because the threadedstern may have a length no longer that the width of a miniature nut 14.-Thus, the threaded stem would not reach the nut 14 if the width ofrecess 54 was greater than the length of the threaded stem. Such aproblem, however, does not exist in connection with nuts of a more usualsize, e.g., 1/2, since the threads to which said nuts are attached aregenerally of a suicient length to extend through the recess existingbetween the face of mouth of the magazine and the front face of the nutin ejectment f position. In operation, lip 50 functions as a releasablestop means to counteract the action of ejectment means l16 on nuts 14until such time that lip 50 is offset as in FIG. 6 to permit thewithdrawal of a single miniature nut 14 which has been secured to athreaded stem 44. It i should be noted that the downward spring actionof spring 42 will cause lip 50 to glide against the outer surface of thenut 14 which is being removed from magazine 12 when tool 10 is withdrawnas shown in FIG. 6.

time as the nut 14 is secured to a threaded stem and the wrench 10 ispulled away therefrom there-by urging lip I50 again upwardly because ofthe outward thrust against beveled edge 52 to the position of FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 8, side adjustment means 30 may be `dispensed with, andadjustment of spring 22 may be effected `by the movement of the endadjustment means. In this embodiment, the rear portion of chamber 24would be expanded in internal diameter as at 62 and would have thereininternal threading at 64.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appendedclaims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise .than as specically described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A socket wrench with storage area for housing and applying aplurality of miniature nuts to threaded stems comprising a magazinehaving an opening therein adapted to permit the successive ingress andegress of a plurality of miniature nuts to and from said magazine, asmall recess in the front vface of said magazine, a thin leaf springlongitudinally secured to and abutting the outer surface of saidmagazine, said leaf spring having an end portion bent at a right angleto form a lip, said lip filling said recess, and protruding slightlytherefrom into the interior of the magazine, with the rear face of theprotruding portion being lbevelled, said recess being equal in depth tothe thickness of said lip, said protruding portion providing a stopmeans permitting successive ejectment of said nuts, and adjustablespring biased ejectment means operatively positionedl in relation tosaid nuts, whereby the tension in said ejectment means can be adjustedto a minimum amount to facilitate loading of said nuts.

2. The `socket Wrench of claim 1 wherein said spring biased ejectmentmeans includes a centrally positioned coil spring and said magazine isinternally threaded and includes a bearing member threaded therein whichmay be adjusted to decrease the pressure on said spring.

3. The socket wrench of claim 1 wherein said spring biased ejectmentmeans includes a centrally positioned coil spring and said magazine isexternally threaded and has an internally threaded cylinder threadedthereon, said cylinder having a bearing member threadedftherein whichmaybe adjusted, along with the cylinder, to decrease the pressure onsaid spring.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.24,066 Brown Oct. 4, 1955 z1,281,928 Field Oct.15, 1918 1,525,545 JamesFeb. 10, 1925 2,493.398 Fricke Jan. 3, 1950 2,611,289 Frank Sept. 23,1952 2,676,506 Schultz Apr. 27, 1954 2,857,794 Red Oct. 28, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS 291,873 Germany May 11, 1916 640,693 France Apr. 3, 1928 402,949Italy Mar, 30, 1943

